Epilepsy & Seizures Support Group

Epilepsy (often referred to as a seizure disorder) is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is commonly controlled with medication, although surgical methods are used as well. Seizures (or convulsions) are temporary abnormal electrophysiologic phenomena of the brain, resulting in abnormal synchronization of electrical neuronal...

647 Members

2,812 Posts

0 Online

rainBowsLoveMe 12/14/2009

Sorry if this is a little to personal for some of you, but i've been wondering about this and i'm going to be asking my doctor this to when I go back in for my check up, but can seizure medications affect your menstrual cycle? cause I switched my meds. a little over a month ago now and I havent had my period for over a month. I just got it today. Which is a huge relief for me cause I thought something was possibly wrong. O..o I talked to my mom about it and I told her My body probably had to re-adjust to the meds. and was maybe messing with the estrogen levels and such and they had to re-situate themselves to a normal balance. It's weird thow cause none of my other seizure meds. have ever done this sort of thing. Is it just a thing with Topamax or is it just my body getting use to the meds? What do you guys think?

deleted_user 12/14/2009

I'm a guy so I wouldn't know but it is interesting, what I can do is ask my neurologist, he might know.

deleted_user 12/14/2009

I'm 41 yrs. old and have been having seiz. since I was 9. I don't remember my periods ever being affected by my meds., but I've never taken topamax either. I do know that my seiz. have always been affected by my periods though. as I grew up with epilepsy it seems as though each month the seiz. would come on at that time. I'm sure you've dealt with all that yourself.

deleted_user 12/15/2009

I have been taking Topamax about 4 years and I haven't had any problems with my period. I can understand why it would cause you some worry - I hope your doctor can give you some info on this.

drdim 12/15/2009

Let me start out by saying that hormones and seizures and seizure meds are DEFINITELY RELATED. 25 years ago, I had a pretty severe accident which resulted in seizures. I went through 8 different meds., and the only one which reliably works for me is depo-provera (a hormone for birth-control) with a small dose of keppra. I want to warn you that many doctors told me there was no connection between hormones and seizures, and I had to go through 7 different doctors before I found one who agreed there is a connection. (I am a CHiropractor, not a specialist in Epilepsy, so they all thought I was talking through my hat...) If your doctor doesn't listen to you or believe you, FIND ANOTHER ONE - they are out there!

deleted_user 12/15/2009

Any medication can do that, but I am on Topamax besides Keppra and Phenobarbital and Zoloft and yes some times my period is late or a few months late, if you read the papers about the drug it tells you everything.

deleted_user 12/15/2009

Hi Rainbow,

My opinion: You are 16. Your body/menstrual cycle is still capable of changes. Hormones fluctuate(change), thus, your period fluctuates.
You are RITE. The Topamax MITE be a reason your hormones changed. Or it could just be a 'normal' thing for someone your age. Thus, the reason why no other med has affected you this way. :)

The seizures the ladies are talking about actually have a name. They are called Catamenial Seizures. To learn more, please, visit this site. :)

http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/your-changing-hormones

??? Do you keep an Epilepsy Journal??? I posted Info for Journals in Recommendations. Chek it out. :)

Love Candi

deleted_user 12/21/2009

I've always had very light periods, so when I began Epilepsy meds, sometimes I would skip periods. I'm a lot older, so there is always the possibility of beginning to "stop" periods for me, since I'm 43. But, my doctor did tell me Topamax can effect hormone levels. I really think the last reply from dancer51 is probably right on...your body is probably still changing too. I just started this med and I'd like to know how you do if you'd like to keep in touch.

rainBowsLoveMe 12/21/2009

sure fallon ^-^ id love to. especially since your new to the medicine yourself

deleted_user 01/09/2010

I can always tell when my period would come becasue about 2 days befoe I would start having lil seizures anxiety attacks.I am person who has a auara and tells me that I am oing to have one.I was also on Topomax .I was on every epilepsy meds out there and it was that way for all of my time.Now I take the dspo shots for not getting peirods or getiing very light peiods.Yes talk to your drs about this.I always have a list of questions for any of my drs and have anoteboodk ti write the answers. Good luck and u can write to me.I will tell u that I do not alwys check these emails everday though.Take care.

deleted_user 01/11/2010

Hey there, I have the same query. I haven't had a period in over four months since resuming my med's which doesn't overly concern me as I don't miss them but it is something I need to speak to the MD about as it's not right!

Join the Conversation